Slider

Slider

Besides the scintillating blue smoke, there is little movement on the Underground Arts’ stage in
Philadelphia. The crowd takes the bait, holding a collective breath, leaning forward, their eyes trained on
the stage, hoping the sapphire wisps will transform into something more concrete.

Then Halsey hits the stage, her bright hair blending with the colored smoke so she seems to simply
dissolve from the fog. The crowd erupts, launching into the first song with the young pop artist.
Born in New Jersey and adopted by New York City, Halsey has a lingering grittiness that translates
beautifully to her performance. It is impossible to watch Halsey and not feel something; she moves so
fluidly from one emotion to another, savoring every moment she has on stage.

And her fans hang on every second, too. The Underground Arts is not a particularly easy venue to work
with due to multiple – and large – support columns scattered throughout the crowd’s view, but Halsey
did her best to connect with the crowd.

Mega-hit songs like “Ghost” and “Empty Gold” were predictably popular, but even the slower – and
achingly painful – “Trouble” drew a loud and positive reaction. Halsey’s performance was solid and
well done, though it will certainly be interesting to see what she is capable of in a larger venue with
more room to perform and create.

Halsey played yet-to-be-released songs for the crowd as well, like “New Americana” and “Control.” The
latter was, in particular, a strong point. With a haunting, violent presence, Halsey’s vocal work on the
chorus hook, “goddamn right, you should be scared of me” is nothing short of chilling.

Another highlight was Halsey encouraging her fans to “put the iPhones down and appreciate the
moment.” Halsey’s point was met with cheers – there is something to be said about closing your eyes
and losing yourself entirely in the music.

That’s the thing with Halsey. She is lost in the music for the duration of the song, each verse almost
taking on its own individual life. There is no choice but to feel what she’s feeling, because her emotions
are so raw and visceral.

“This song is about not belonging to anybody but yourself,” Halsey told the crowd, her words firm,
before launching into “Hurricane.”

And when she sings, “don’t belong to no city, don’t belong to no man,” everyone in the room believes it,
because there is such an honesty to Halsey’s work. Even at a young age, she is baring the tenderness in
her ribcage to anyone who will listen, and it’s a little unsettling, but mostly beautiful, a rare intersection
of pop vocals and a glittering darkness not commonly found or easily crafted. This is just the beginning
of the storm.